Reinforcing clamp



April 1943- o. SCHNEEYBERGER 2,31 78 REENFORGING CLAMP Filed Oct. 31, 1941 FlG i.

, FIG-.3.

FIG.4.

INVENTOR E EB ER GER LEROY O. ScHN Y Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED STATES mm, mm'

"I 2,316,978 IEINFoROING oLAMP Leroy 0. Schneeberger, St. Louis, Mo.- Application October 31, 1941, Serial No. mesa 2 Claims. (,01. 217-49) This invention has'to do generally with reinforcing fittings. I tion'relates to a certain new and useful improvement in re-inforcing fittings adapted especially, though not exclusively, for use in strengthening the crossed partition-walls of a beverage-bottle case or the like and has for its chief object the provision of a fitting of clamp-type for the purpose stated which may be easily, cheaply, and economically manufactured, which is durable in structure, which may be readily and conven iently applied upon and attached to the casewalls or partitions, and which is efficient in the performance of its intended functions.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective-plan view of a reinforcing fitting or clamp of my invention;

Figure 2 is an edge-view of the fitting or clamp;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a beveragebottle case having crossed partition-walls equipped with and re-inforced by fittings or clamps of my invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental plan view of the re-inforced case of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the case, taken approximately on the line 55, Figure 4.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, the fitting or clamp, generally designated A, is constructed of suitable bendable metal and in plan, as best seen in Figures 1 and 4, has preferably the form, shape, or contour of a forme or patte cross, the clamp A being readily, by means of a die or the like, punched from a metallic sheet, blank, or section and thus lending itself to economical mass production.

As shown, the clamp A includes preferably integrally or as a unit a central or body-portion a, presented or extending outwardly from which are pairs of opposed arms b, b, and c, c, the one pair being disposed at right angles to the other pair and spaced the one from the other by relatively deep recesses or cutouts (I each rounded at its base, as at I, and having a somewhat U-shape in contour in plan, as best seen in Figures 1 and 4.

Each arm I), c, at its free end or margin, is cut or formed square, as at 2, relatively to the body- More particularly, my invenportion a has'considerable breadth; and terminates in oppositely presented tapering fingers or claws 3, in turn, terminating in sharp; prongs 4 bent to project angularly out of the plane, and away from th one or so-called upper face, of the body-portion a, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2.

In addition, in the formation or punching of the clamp A, the fingers or claws 3 of each arm b, e, are bent or constructed to normally oppositely incline downwardly or away from said one or upper face of the clamp, as best seen in Figure 2, the one set of arms b being at the same time formed or provided centrally of the clamp with a slightly arcuate ridge, as at 5, extending from the free margin of the one arm b to the free margin of the companion arm 17, and each arm 0 being likewise formed or provided centrally of the clamp. with aligning slightly arcuate ridges 6, 6, each extending from the free margin of a respective arm 0 to, but not crosswise of, the ridge 5, all also as best seen in Figures 1, 2, and 5.

B designates a beverage-bottle case of common or standard type comprising a shell preferably of rectangular contour having a base-wall (not specifically. shown) and upright side and end walls 1, 8, suitably permanently secured together in case-formation, the chamber of the shell B being divided by means of right-angularly crossing partition-walls 9, 10, into a predetermined plurality or number of bottle-accommodating spaces, as at H.

Such cases B and their partition-walls 9, H],

are subjected to more or less hard usage, and to strengthen and reinforce the partition-walls 9, l0, against breakage and thereby prolong the useful life of the case, clamps A of my invention are engaged therewith, as illustrated in Figure 3. More particularly, a clamp A is disposed upon a pair of the partition-walls 9, 16, at a crossing therebetween, with its unbroken or non-interrupted ridge 5 extending over and in registration with the one partition 9 and with its interrupted ridges 6 disposed over and in registration with the partition l0 upon opposite sides of the partition 9, and. its claws or fingers 3, by means of a suitable tool (not, shown), clinched upon the respective side faces of the interposed partitionwalls 9, i0, and their prongs 4 embedded therein, as clearly seen and illustrated in Figures 3, 4, and 5.

The clamp fulfills in every respect the objects stated, and it is to be understood that minor changes in the form and construction of the the clamp is to be applied and at their outer ends widened out to relatively greater width and termlnatin'g in sharp points, said member being bent to provide intersecting ridges with the ridges extending medially of the arms and said arms each having the widened end portions bent down as spaced tapering finger claws and the sharp points bent to project angularly inwardly as penetrating points.

2. A reinforcing clamp for crossed partitions of a crate-like structure, said clamp being produced from a single piece of sheet metal initially having substantially the contour of a patte cross with the inner'portions of the arms of substantially no greater width than the width of a partition and the outer ends widened out to be of relatively greater width and terminating in sharp points, one pair of said armsbeing disposed substantially at right angles to the other pair and the arms of each pair being bent to provide intersecting substantially medial arcuate ridges,

said arms then having the widened out portions toward the ends on each side of the arcuate ridge bent downwardly as spaced finger claws and having the sharp points thereof bent to project anr gularly inwardly whereby said sharp points will serve as penetrating and securing prongs when said reinforcing clamp is placed with the arcuate ridges thereof fitting upon the top edges of crossed partition walls and the finger claws are clampingly bent in against the sides of the partition Walls. 1

LEROY O. SCHNEEBERGER. 

